Greater Grazing

Dew pond at Martin Down with cattle, as part of the Chase & Chalke Greater Grazing project.
Cattle on Martin Down, as part of the Chase & Chalke Greater Grazing project.
Three people pulling ragwort as part of the Chase & Chalke Greater Grazing project.

Transforming the quality of chalk grassland on Martin Down National Nature Reserve.

The Martin Down National Nature Reserve is 350 hectares of unspoiled chalk downland (one of the largest sites in the UK) where flowers, birds and insects flourish. The site is also home to grazing animals and important archaeological features.

The significant reduction of grazing animals on Martin Down since the 1940s meant that large amounts of scrub vegetation had taken hold on the site, resulting in the loss of herb-rich chalk grassland, which supports an array of pollinators, birds and other animals. This scrub has also covered many of the archaeological features of the site.

Previously only grazed annually by sheep, the habitats and overall biodiversity has been improved by adding cattle to the site. Cows are larger and heavier; they are less selective about what they eat and they are more efficient in breaking down scrub.

Project aims

  • To restore the ancient landscapes and biodiversity at Martin Down NNR through practical conservation work and habitat management.
  • To attract and keep more sheep graziers, as well as attract cattle graziers through the clearance of scrub and the building of infrastructure to support grazing animals.
  • To safeguard 350 hectares of chalk grassland and aid 15 key species through improved habitat management.
  • To clear monuments and archaeological features of scrub or trees.
  • To train volunteers in wildlife survey and collect new data at Martin Down to monitor pollinator levels.
  • To conduct educational events and improve local awareness of the important habitat of Martin Down National Nature Reserve.

Project achievements

Weekly practical seasonal conservation work with Chase & Chalke volunteers.

  • Clearing vegetation ahead of and behind grazing animals has opened areas of chalk grassland that had been covered in scrub overgrowth.
  • Managing grazing stock animals, as well as helping with the temporary netting for sheep enclosures to manage grazing.
  • Pasqueflower (Pulsatilla vulgaris) and Duke of Burgundy butterflies, have been recorded in areas the team have worked.

Cattle grazing on Martin Down National Nature Reserve.

  • Purchasing two large water bowsers, allowing the transport of thousands of litres of water to accessible troughs in the paddocks.
  • Funding of a new cattle-handling facility.
  • New buffer zones constructed at exits of cattle grazing areas, improving the safety standards of managing the animals.

Invasive scrub clearance on several ancient and historic sites.

  • Removal of well-established scrub vegetation from the sites to encourage rabbits to burrow underneath and to allow the form and shape of the monument to be clearly seen in the landscape.
  • ‘Scallops’ cut in the vegetation, to allow herbs and grasses to grow.
  • Areas cleared include Bokerley Dyke, the Ackling Dyke, Grim’s Ditch, 4 barrows (burial mounds), WW1 military sites and a Roman road.

Multiple youth education and experience events in collaboration with Hampshire County Council.

  • Young Ranger events occurred with groups learning the role a ranger plays and how the landscape habitats are managed.
  • Local scout groups attended educational sessions at Martin Down with Hampshire County Council rangers.
  • School visits took place, with students learning how to survey transects, about what plants live on Martin Down, and various landscape and environmental issues.

Pollinator walk training carried out with members of the public.

  • Monthly visits to the site by volunteers who performed surveys on 5m-wide transects allocated by Hampshire County Council rangers. These surveys recorded pollinator insects, and the flowers on which they were nectaring.
  • Volunteer survey records were collected, analysed, and then submitted to the Hampshire Biological Record Centre, to help understand trends in pollinator activity and the biodiversity of the area.
  • Volunteers attended training days to learn about common flowers and plants that grow on the calcareous grasslands of Martin Down National Nature Reserve.

Practical conservation volunteers worked to restore an old dew pond at Kitts Grave.

  • The pond site was excavated and reshaped to provide access to drinking water for wildlife. A liner was laid in the space, as well as geotextile protection, and then 400mm of subsoil to hold it down and protect it. The pond started to immediately hold rainwater overnight.
  • The area around the pond site was cleared of scrub, and scalloped, to create an open area of chalk grassland.
  • The dew pond now supplies a cow-operated tap so that they can drink. The pond is protected by the fence, which keeps the water clear of grazing animals and waste, keeping the water clean.
  • The shallow sides of this pond allow a variety of wildlife to access water – especially a variety of birds who struggle with steep-sided troughs and rivers.

Collaboration with PlantLife and Footprint Ecology to create a habitat for juniper plants.

  • PlantLife’s ‘Saving Juniper’ project seeks to revitalise the populations declining populations of juniper plants in Wiltshire and Oxfordshire, supporting birds such as goldcrest, fieldfare and song thrush.
  • Soil taken from an adjacent area was placed on a scrub-cleared piece of land, and juniper seeds planted in the new space.

Project partners and delivery

The Greater Grazing project was delivered in partnership with Hampshire County Council, in collaboration with the team at Natural England.